At Wednesday’s Special Event on Climate for Heads of State and Government (“Climate Summit”) held at the United Nations, Prime Minister the Honourable Gaston Browne delivered a powerful keynote calling for an enforceable, equitable transition from fossil fuels and demanding that those who have profited from fossil economies now bear responsibility to fund and enable climate justice.
Addressing world leaders and multilateral institutions, Prime Minister Browne underscored that global decarbonization is not optional—it is a matter of justice for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). He stressed that SIDS have disproportionately suffered the consequences of climate change—despite contributing the least to its causes—and thus require a system built on accountability.
He reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s endorsement of the Fossil Fuel Treaty initiative, advocating a rules-based phase-out of coal, oil, and gas backed by strong finance and technology transfer channels.
Prime Minister Browne warned that climate change acts as a threat multiplier, worsening vulnerabilities across agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure, and livelihoods—with loss and damage already a daily reality for many small states.
He affirmed that maintaining the 1.5 °C threshold is non-negotiable for survival of island states, calling it a binding scientific, moral, and legal benchmark—not a bargaining chip.
Prime Minister Browne also took aim at the global financial architecture, noting that the world’s largest polluters must pay—not through charity, but through polluter pays mechanisms—to correct the systemic inequities that have left vulnerable states to absorb the costs.
He outlined that current climate finance—especially for adaptation, resilience, and loss and damage—remains woefully inadequate, while multilateral and international financial institutions (IFIs) are insufficiently responsive or effective.
He stated that the cost of adaptation is projected to reach US$387 billion annually by 2030, with loss and damage already manifesting in the hundreds of billions—yet new funding remains scarce.
Turning to national strategy, Prime Minister Browne reaffirmed that Antigua and Barbuda’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) lays out a clear roadmap for resilience, and pledged that the country’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) will further accelerate its green, resilient transformation. Antigua and Barbuda’s NAP is designed to prioritize adaptive measures across critical sectors, backed by data, risk mapping, and institutional strengthening.
He called on fellow leaders, finance institutions, development partners, and the private sector to act now: “Let us treat the 1.5 °C limit as a lifeline—not a line in the sand. Let us make the polluter-pays principle the foundation of a fair transition. And let us act—not tomorrow, but today—so the smallest and most vulnerable nations among us are not left to face the greatest storms alone.” (Ends)
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
